abnabooks Chapter 33 Battle Against Hidden Strength
Chapter 33 Battle Against Hidden Strength
Lin Mu pressed himself against her.
With his swift, serpentine steps, Zhao Lie had nowhere to retreat.
The attacks, including swaying willow branches in the wind, tiger strikes, and even whip kicks, were relentlessly slammed into Zhao Lie.
He alternately punched, slapped, elbowed, and kicked Zhao Lie in the chest, shoulders, and ribs.
Zhao Lie didn't even have a chance to block. His body was like a sandbag being swept up by a gale. He staggered and crashed into the railing, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the platform.
He lay on the fence, his fingers digging into the cracks in the wooden planks, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Zhao Lie watched Lin Mu walk towards him expressionlessly, then suddenly reached into his robes, pulled out the white porcelain bottle, bit open the red wax, and swallowed the Dragon Transformation Pill in one gulp.
Lin Mu's pupils contracted, and he unleashed his sudden wind step, striking Zhao Lie's nape with a palm.
But it was too late.
Zhao Lie's body stiffened abruptly, as if struck by lightning.
A wave of heat exploded from his body, and visible airflow shot out from his pores, swirling the surrounding dust into a ring.
His skin turned bright red, and his veins bulged out, like earthworms wriggling under his skin.
The sounds of bones and muscles resonating together were no longer isolated, but rather a continuous, crackling sound, like firecrackers exploding inside the body.
His eyes turned bloodshot, his pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his breathing became rapid like a bellows, blowing away a cloud of dust from the table with each exhale.
He roared as if he were suffering the greatest pain in the world.
A few moments later, he successfully broke through the barrier and his internal strength was formed.
As Zhao Lie's inner energy spread out, whispers arose under the eaves of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School.
Lei Heng looked at the stage and said calmly, "It's done."
A disciple nearby chimed in, "Lin Mu was able to dodge just now, but he probably can't hold on now."
Another disciple chuckled: "What's the point of carrying it? Hidden strength can defeat overt strength with a single punch."
Qian Wanjun didn't speak, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow at Master Hu.
At this point, even the eldest disciple couldn't sit still any longer.
"Master Meng, this is clearly due to the use of the forbidden drug, the Dragon Transformation Pill, to instantly break through to a higher realm, which is against the rules."
"Do you have any evidence to prove that it's a Dragon Transformation Pill?"
"The only thing that can directly break through to the Dark Force realm is the Dragon Transformation Pill, right?"
"Please don't make wild guesses. Perhaps it's a pill to replenish qi and blood, and the person is just on the verge of breaking through a bottleneck, using this opportunity to achieve a breakthrough?"
Meng Changqing practically wore his bias on his face.
The eldest disciple had no choice but to look towards the arena.
At this moment, Zhao Lie slowly straightened up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at Lin Mu with a ferocious expression.
His eyes no longer held the previous anxiety and frivolity, but rather a cold, cat-and-mouse-like composure.
He cracked his neck, his joints popping, and then took a step toward Lin Mu.
This step was heavier than any of the previous ones.
The platform shook, and cracks spread from his feet outwards.
"Thank you." Zhao Lie's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal. "Without you, I really wouldn't have been able to make up my mind."
He flipped his right fist out from his waist and punched Lin Mu.
A tiger pounces on its prey.
This punch carried a hidden force.
Lin Mu dodged to the side, the fist grazing his shoulder, the hidden force penetrating his body like a red-hot iron rod piercing his shoulder.
His left arm went numb instantly, slowing his Wind Step by half a beat, and he staggered away.
Zhao Lie didn't give chase. He stood in the center of the platform, looking down at his fists, a smile playing on his lips, as if enjoying the death throes of his prey.
Lin Mu closed his eyes.
The hidden energy within his body was still raging, destroying everything in its path.
He quickly activated his body-strengthening technique, channeling his vital energy in a manner reminiscent of a tiger pouncing on its prey, incorporating Zhao Lie's hidden strength, and unleashed a punch.
The original damage had already been done; the injured tendons and bones had already cracked, but the remaining internal force had been dissipated.
He regained feeling in his left arm.
He looked up at Zhao Lie, pondering a solution.
Even if he manages to resolve the situation cleverly, it will require time and energy.
Zhao Lie has just broken through and is underestimating his opponent. If he finds something is wrong, he will not give him another chance.
He looked up at Zhao Lie, his mind racing.
The Fierce Tiger Fist takes a fierce and powerful approach, with forceful impacts. Is it possible to use the gentle force of a willow swaying in the wind to deflect some of the force when fists and feet collide?
Lin Mu stopped backing down and went to meet him.
At the moment their fists and palms collided, he deliberately used the force of a willow swaying in the wind.
The force gently lifted the hidden energy that Zhao Lie had injected into his body.
The internal force entering the body has less destructive power than before.
Lin Mu then used the force of a tiger pouncing on its prey to expel the remaining internal energy from his body.
After exchanging more than a dozen punches with Lin Mu, Zhao Lie's brows gradually furrowed.
Once you enter the realm of hidden strength, both your speed and power increase significantly.
Why is it so difficult to apply Ming Jin (a type of internal force)?
Moreover, Lin Mu became more and more stable as he fought, showing no signs of internal energy entering his body.
The people in the audience noticed it too.
The man in white robes, in particular, stared intently at Lin Mu, trying to discern something from him.
In reality, Lin Mu wasn't as relaxed as he appeared to outsiders.
The destructive power of hidden force remains extremely strong.
If you encounter a master of internal strength in the future, you must fight them quickly and decisively.
He knew he couldn't delay any longer.
He swayed slightly with his Wind-Stepping Steps, then suddenly unleashed his Sudden Wind Steps, lowering his center of gravity and charging straight for Zhao Lie's groin.
He raised his right hand, aiming a chop at Zhao Lie's neck.
He had used this trick many times before.
Without hesitation, Zhao Lie covered his neck with both hands and leaned back.
Lin Mu bit the dragon scale water he was holding under his tongue, and his blood and qi surged instantly. He accelerated his Gale Step again and passed through Lin Mu's crotch like an eel.
Before Zhao Lie could see anything, Lin Mu's right leg was already raised.
A variation of Whip Kick: Wild Dance.
The first kick landed on Zhao Lie's lower back with a dull thud, and Zhao Lie staggered forward two steps.
The second leg followed closely, kicking him in the back of the knee, and Zhao Lie knelt on one knee.
The third leg swept across his back, and he collapsed to the ground.
Lin Mu didn't stop. His leg shadows rained down on Zhao Lie like a storm—his back, waist, shoulders, and thighs. Each kick carried a spiraling force, causing Zhao Lie to roll on the ground. Blood splattered from the corners of his mouth, and the table was slammed shut with a thud.
"What happened?"
Someone stood up at the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, and Qian Wanjun's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air.
No one from Changfeng Martial Arts School spoke; they simply clenched their fists.
"Bang!"
Lin Mu kicked Zhao Lie on the back of the head.
Zhao Lie was kicked away, bounced a few times on the ground, and then stopped moving.
When he landed, the entire stadium fell silent.
Everyone forgot to breathe.
Lin Mu pulled his legs back and stood still, his legs trembling.
Most of Zhao Lie's hidden strength remained in his legs, and he needed to break through it slowly.
It took Meng Changqing a while to come to his senses.
He announced in an extremely reluctant tone:
"Changfeng Martial Arts School, Lin Musheng."
"So, is the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School going to leave Xihe Town?" the senior brother asked immediately.
"This is an unfair competition. The Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School sent a Dark Force practitioner to participate in the Bright Force group competition."
"They were found guilty of cheating and fined fifty taels of silver."
Meng Changqing's face seemed to say, "I am a member of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School."
The senior disciple and the master exchanged glances, both with solemn expressions.